


The Sky's Essence

by DCJoKeRHS



Category: Ghost Hunt, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Badass Yasu, Eu/Gene's Alive!, Kyoya needs to Stop, Mayhem, Sawada Iemitsu's A+ Parenting, Tsuna and Mai are twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-11-07 09:59:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 17,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11056608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DCJoKeRHS/pseuds/DCJoKeRHS
Summary: Copying from Quotev again! XD





	1. Flames

Mai's POV:  


I was beyond peeved.  


Even Naru had not taunted me when I showed him the letter from my new Landlord, who'd had the guts to raise the rent, despite our flats being mostly people still in school (like me), or pensioners! Mrs Chiyama even got sent to a home because of how much it was!  


I leant with a sigh on Naru's door, before putting my tray beside me as I rested my head on my desk, sitting in my chair.  


Recently, my ESP has increased for some weird reason, and I can sense things better...  


Like someone standing too close and moving to put something on my head, 3 minutes after the main door opened.  


I quickly grabbed their wrist, revealing Yasu with a pair of dog ears.  


"What the heck are you doing?" I growl.  


He quickly pulls away, scurrying to his desk, as Monk and Ayako enter, arguing.  


"Hey, Mai!" Monk beams, before they both he and Ayako fell silent. "...Erm... Mai?"  


I felt to hot, and I could feel my head thumping.  


I faintly hear Lin's door opening as I feel the ache becoming a thumping pain, growing too big.  


I faintly hear my name being called, as I felt the thumping resound throughout my body, and a moment later, it exploded...  


   


   


Naru's POV:  


I felt the air stir with something.  


I rose, opening my door to see Ayako, Yasu and Monk looking with surprise at Mai, who had her hands on her head, face down.  


"Mai!" I recognised it was coming from her, and she sat up, sudden flames springing up around her, bright orange, and rushing around the room.  


"Mai!"  


The flames surrounded us...  


But they didn't hurt?  


I ran forward, taking the chance to quickly grab hold of Mai, pulling her out of her seat.  


"Mai! You need to calm down!" I ordered, quickly pulling her close as I used a tiny bit of PK to wrap protectively around us.  


"Naru, don't!"  


I closed my eyes, waiting for the effects to catch up with my body...  


But it didn't.  


Opening my eyes again, I realised my PK had turned into purple flames around us, Yasu gaining indigo flames as Lin gained green flames, Ayako gained red flames, and Monk gained yellow flames.  


"What?" Monk asked, as the door opened, John, Masako and Madoka entered, the flames almost instantly turning their own individual colours around the three - John getting his own blue flames as Madoka shared Yasu's indigo and Masako my purple.  


"Haha, look - Masako and Naru, both equally cold, have the same colours!"  


Masako bristled, before Mai's eyes snapped open, yellow flames matching Monk's rising up in a small hurricane, just over the hight and width as Naru.  


" _Fuoco, portare avanti il Guardian del Sole da là, e dargli vita._ " Mai said, and something formed, as my eyes widened, the flames dissipating. " _No, è ancora vivo... Eugene is still alive._ "  


**{A/N: What Mai said was; "Fire, bring forth the Guardian of Sun from beyond, bringing him to life. - No, he is alive."}**   


She collapsed, making me have to take a step to balance her weight as the flames shrank away, the flames not her colour sinking into our skin.  


"What... Was that?" John asked, face filled with shock.  


Monk shrugged, as I carefully lifting Mai up to set her on the sofa.  


"It might be pyrokinesis... I've only ever actually heard of it." Naru stated...  


   


? ? ?'s POV:  


The alarm went off, and I ran to the monitors.  


G ? ? ?- typed in a few things as S ? ? ? and I ?- looked up from where they were tuning the bikes we had only recently made.  


"It's a large fluctuation... Japan... Shibuya..."


	2. Iemitsu and Tsunayoshi Sawada

Lin's POV:

Two days later, Mai was having dreams about a guy called "Giotto", who was telling her about her flames, though Eugene had only appeared once, before Giotto had covered Eugene in yellow flames, sending him, as Giotto described, "back".

Obviously, this didn't sit comfortably with Naru.

 

? ? ?'s POV:

I finished up with getting my suit sorted, R ? ?- frowning from behind me - several weeks ago he finally regained his "proper" age and appearance - though I wasn't very pleased when he decided to continue saying "It's Chaos".

At that point, there was a knock, and a timid boy with dark hair and blue eyes poked his head around the door.

"Excuse me? I'm looking for ? ? ? ? ?- ? ? ?-..." he smiled timidly. "I got told to find the V ? ? ? D ? ? - by a guy called V ? ? ? P ? ?, G ? ?-...?!"

He stopped when R pulled out his gun.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "How do you know G ? ??"

"He woke me up from a coma by rejoining my spirit and body when I nearly died..." the boy smiled. "In return, he told me to take you and an I ? ? ? S ? ? - to Mai Taniyama and  Kazuya Shibuya. You and your guardians are meant to help us for some weird reason..."

"Sorry, kid, we've got work." R stated. "In Shibuya."

"No worries - that's where they are! They work at Shibuya Psychic Research."...

 

Yasu's POV:

I grinned as I finished my work, looking over to see Mai only half-done on hers - add on her new pile of "homework" for pyrokinesis, and the random spurts of the warm flames she could make when annoyed or too determined, and she ended up taking quite a while.

The bell sounded (so far only I know how to stop it ringing - using just a curved stick), and we both looked over to see a boy who looked strikingly like Naru, though with a confident smile on his face, and three other people - a boy about Mai's age with similarly-coloured hair (though slightly more brown) and eyes to match Mai's; a man about Monk's height with sharp Italian features and a black and orange fedora; and a guy looking a bit like the boy, but with blonde hair - entered.

Mai dropped her pen as she stood.

"Eugene!?" she gasped.

"It's Chaos." the fedora-guy stated, frowning as the green lizard on his hat shifted to the guy's shoulder.

"Mai." the Naru look-a-like smiled, and Mai grinned, as the blonde looked at Mai in shock.

"Take a seat, I'll get Naru!" she politely offered. "What do you say to some tea, as well?"

"Yes please, I'm sure my friends would like some too." they smiled.

Naru almost ran out of his office, as did Lin a moment later, both stopping at the sight of the other three.

"Yo!" Eugene grinned, as Mai soon re-entered.

"Tea takes longer than a few seconds." the fedora guy growled.

"She had that intuition thing - she's got strong ESP." I replied, grinning. "I'm Osamu Yasuhara, by the way."

"Yasu! I just simply follow my gut instincts!"

"Put simply - the wild animal got wiser." Naru frowned. "And it's not "yo" Gene - you were gone for over six months, with no way of finding you - idiot."

"Sorry!" Gene grinned, picking up his cup. "At least I could help Mai with her ESP and you."

The blonde put down his cup.

"Excuse me, but Ms Taniyama - would your Mother happen to be a Suzuki Taniyama?"

Mai tilted her head.

"Yeah, how do you know?"

"My name is Iemitsu Sawada, this boy is my son, Tsunayoshi Sawada, and the other guy's Reborn... 15 years ago, I had him with my wife, Nana, alongside a baby girl, who we had to hide due to a large capacity of Sky Flames which could cause the entire Mafia and Mafioso to go after her. Even the Varia tried..."

"What are you saying, Dad?!" Tsunayoshi turned around, surprise on his face.

"The woman I gave her up to was Suzuki Taniyama."

Mai paled, as Naru stood, quickly pulling her to sit by him, face darkening.

"What the hell do you want?" he growled, purple flames surrounding him.

...

Uh-oh~...


	3. Hidden Past

Iemitsu's POV:

I explained about Giotto's own sister, who we believe to have passed her abilities to Mai, and the dangers of having the ability, like Verde's scientific greed and the power-hunger of other Mafia Bosses.

By the end of it, the tall guy was looking ready to kill, and green flames were floating from the hidden eye. Eugene also had sun flames twisting about between his fingers.

"So you're basically saying Mai's able to channel several lots of past sky-flame user's power?" Naru growled, evidently not pleased at all, though at Mai's request he stopped with the overflowing cloud-flames.

At that point, a blond and a brunette entered.

"There's a large limo drawing up with a crest on it." he said. "Why would... Oh."

"Heyo!" I grinned.

"It's Chaos." Reborn greeted.

"Uh-oh..." Tsuna muttered, getting up. "I'll sort them out."

"Them?" the brunette asked.

The door burst open.

"Jyuudaime!"

Tsuna's guardians spilled into the room.

"What do you think you're doing here!?" Tsuna scolded.

"Kufufu. Bomb-brains was worried about big boss so dragged Chrome, Hibari and I along behind him with Ryouhei and Yamamoto, Lambo was going to be in the car with I-Pin and Fuuta-"

"Hahahahaha! Lambo's not letting Dame-Tsuna get the better of him!"

Lambo raced through the door, before stopping at the sight of Reborn.

"Haha! Lambo's gunna-"

"Go to sleep, kid." Reborn muttered, flicking his forehead, knocking Lambo back into Fuuta, who caught him.

"Sorry, Tsuna-nii..." Fuuta replied. "Gokudera was worried."

"Hmph." Hibari muttered, spying Naru. "Just a load of herbivores and two baby carnivores."

"Coming through!"

Ayako appeared, Madoka on her tail.

"We got some research that you wanted on Pyrokinesis and previous records!" Ayako smiled.

"I also got hold of the history of the Sawada family, which has such abilities, and their past is actually quite influential - Sawada Ieyasu appeared around 1850, and got quite a good fortune, enough to run a small business, which he passed to others about 8 years after, moving town. The house he originally had is actually still standing on the coast, so we can get-... EEIII?!" Madoka looked up from her file, spying Tsuna.

"SERIOUSLYYY?!" she ran up, looking between him and me.

"Sawada. He's a Sawada?!" Madoka hissed, zooming over to Naru like a puppy.

"I think she's broken a fuse." Yasuhara chuckled.

"Madok-" Mai attempted, smiling as she tried to not get squished.

Naru glared, making her back up quickly.

"She needs to breathe, idiot." he grumbled.

I tried not to smile, seeing the connection between the two, before clapping my hands.

"Alright! Tsuna, you explain, and you Guardians and friends of Mai; sit down, now." I used my Boss-Dad voice, getting it done quite easily, the Guardians decided to lean on the backs of the sofa, though Mukuro used his ability to make a chair to sit on, and Hibari decided to lie on the carpet, glaring away Lambo, who ran to sit in Mai's lap, I-Pin and Fuuta crowding her.

Introductions were made, and I quickly re-explained, trying not to react to the young Guardians.

"...Tsuna's also been a bit busy- he's the next in line to be the head of our family!" I couldn't help but fall back into papa-mode as Tsuna turned red with embarrassment.

"Dad!" he complained, as Naru frowned, thinking.

"That's basically the description for PK and ESP abilities, but dying will... Lin?"

Lin nodded.

"I've heard of it back in China, though the people using it likened it to harnessing their chi on a scale twice the size of a normal omnyouji." he admitted.  
I frowned, getting a feeling in my gut from his tone and style.

"That voice...  _Shengshi Longteng._ " I mused, and Lin bristled slightly. "You know him?"

"The Spirit Dragon, a highly trained handy-man for doing anything from murdering someone and selling illegal goods to helping out in old people's homes and sending to the police station other criminals." Lin replied.

"I met him once before, back when I was just starting out as a Mafia member. He wasn't a man - he was a boy." I replied.

"Dealing with a case most respectable Detectives wouldn't put one nail in. It was in the papers." Lin nodded, and I smiled, crossing my arms.

"Anyway! It's really weird finding so many people - it's like we already have found the Guardians needed already for protecting and aiding Mai in future!" I grinned.

"Of course I'm going to look after Mai in future! She's my precious Jou-chan!" Monk retorted.

"As a Doctor, it's my duty to look after my patients, and Mai is top of my list, idiot." Ayako growled.

"Who else can I tease?!" Yasu smiled.

"I will." John nodded.

Lin and Naru were silent as Eugene grinned and hugged Mai from behind.

"She's helped me before, so I'm returning the favour... And trying to get a certain idiot scientist to admit how he feels."

The cloud flame quickly startling the black haired boy away stated Naru's opinion on that.

"Stupid Medium" he muttered...


	4. Song and Dreams

Mai's POV:  
I arrive home with my family on my tail.  
I have mixed feelings about this, but my gut says I can trust them, and that I am linked to Tsuna.  
Entering my flat, I watch their reactions of surprise at how small and bare my home is.  
"My landowner's an idiot, but I still find I can manage." I smiled.  
"It's so small!" Tsuna exclaimed, before blushing. "No offence."  
"Hahaha! It's fine, Yasu's reaction was similar... He imitated Monk's hug and said he'd drag me to his place." Mai grinned. "I had to kick him out the door to calm down before I could talk to him again."  
"I'm not pleased - this is two blocks from the local red district." Reborn growled.  
"It's not all bad there! I had to live in the Red District for about a month before I got enough money together for this place." I retorted, entering the kitchen to start making tea.  
After I was done, I entered my room to find a small green box on my pillow, and my window open.  
"That's weird..." I mused, before I felt a hand on my shoulder.  
Tsuna was observing the box with a wary eye, and I picked it up.  
"This wasn't here before..." I mused, "Yet there is next to no security on the flats..."  
I opened it, revealing a note and a white gold ring holding an amber, heart-shaped centre-stone, on either side were three hearts, each one of a different stone, though it made me think of the colours Tsuna's Guardians wore.  
"This belongs to you; and if you see any green-haired, lab-coated people, run like hell." I read, tilting my head.  
"Yours in faith; Kawahara."  
"Checker Face?!" Tsuna exclaimed, bringing Reborn and Iemi- I mean, Dad (still not used to that) into my room.  
"So this belongs to me?!" I mused, looking at the ring.  
Reborn took the ring, analysing this.  
"These were lost for so long... Why appear now..." he muttered.  
"Reborn?" Tsuna asked.  
"The parts of the tri-ni-set, do you remember those carvings?" Reborn asked. "The Pacifiers, Mare Rings and Vongola rings were made with the Simon Rings... I went back to that cave with a little help from Veckenschtein, and found quite a few more of those carvings, which came from another cave; all four sets came from the Duo-ni-Sette Fiamme; the Seven Squared Flames."  
"Huh?!" Tsuna exclaimed.  
"Remember how the Simon and Vongola bosses' rings fused?" Reborn asked.  
"Yes... It was the only thing to keep me alive when fighting Veckenschtein..." Tsuna mused.  
"The objects all use flames from the same origins, which happened long ago. "  
" _Seven Dragons once before,  
Back in the times of yore.  
Day and Night merged they say,  
Each one of a difference country... _Um _...  
Then in time to Man, they chose to come,  
Born in time one by one.  
Powers shared, the Trinisette,  
Soon the Land they'll soon forget..._  
 _The Sea knows no bounds._  
 _The Clam passes down its form from Generation to Generation._  
 _The Rainbow appears from time to time before fading away.  
Simon continues to live alone,  
Until it's needed day..._" I recited. "I can't really remember the tune, but the words a nice old lady told me back in playgroup..."  
Reborn gave me a look, to which I could only give a meek smile before hiding behind Tsuna.  
"Who's Verde anyway?" I asked, before realising something was burning and running to find Ie- _Dad_ had tried making omelettes and oven-cooked toast.  
"Hey! I spent my paycheck on that!" I complained, quickly saving the toast and omelette, remedying the burnt bits with some sauce and putting the omelette on top.  
"There."  
Tsuna took a bite, before giving a small smile as I tasted mine, before adding a bit of vinegar with the sauce...  
  
 _I was back in playgroup.  
Wasn't this place shut down three weeks after I left? Also, I last remember helping the boys set up so they could sleep in my living room - Tsuna on the couch, Reborn on the spare futon, and Iemitsu on the floor (I would've gotten Tsuna to sleep on my bed while I slept on the floor and Iemitsu got the couch, but Iemitsu had told me off before helping out.  
Ah, wait, here he is.  
Gene was sitting by me, on the floor.  
"Watch." he smiled.  
The nice old lady who had told me the story walked in, humming.  
I then realised who she looked similar to.  
"Why does she look like that Shimon kid Tsuna showed me?"  
"Her name is Milena Kozato, Enma's Great-Aunt." he smiled softly. "As with each Flame Guardian, she went to pass on the Will of the previous Guardians to you."  
We watched as she took the hand of my 3-year-old self, before we found ourselves in a street.  
"Father!" I gasped, seeing the familiar shape.  
A guy with a gun appeared.  
"_Dove è la ragazza Fiamma _?!"  
"What are you saying?"  
"Where is the Flame Girl?!"  
My head began to hurt, and Gene's eyes widened.  
"Wake up, now." he ordered, helping return me back to my body..._  
  
I shot up to a headache with a gasp, shivering as I wiped my face with a hand.  
 _Why am I... Crying?..._  
I decided to get a drink, enjoying the peace of the dark compared to the light my dreams had held a moment ago.  
I grabbed a tissue on the way, using it to cool my face at the sink and throwing it in the bin as I grabbed a cup from the cupboard.  
"Ciaossu."  
I almost dropped the glass as I looked over, before sighing when it was just Reborn, minus his hat and jacket, and with the top three buttons of his shirt undone, the tie loose, as well.  
"You scared me... Want some tea? It helps whenever you can't sleep." I smiled.  
He nodded, and I pulled out a second cup, setting up the kettle as I grabbed the tea-leaves...  
  
Sitting at the kitchen table, I smiled at the peaceful relocated family members sleeping in the living room, before wincing as my head acted up again.  
"Why are you awake?" Reborn asked.  
"A dream... Grandma Milena, who was the old lady who told me that song... I think the next case my group will go on will include something to do with her, else Eugene wouldn't show me her..." I smiled. "I never actually knew her name until Gene told me; Milena Kozato, and he talked about a boy called Enma, her Grandnephew."  
I saw him shift slightly, and I could guess what he was going to ask.  
"Eugene's my spirit guide, and my dreams are from me having ESP, which means Extra-Sensory Perception." I explained. "Oh yeah! Naru mentioned it yesterday, didn't he, haha..."  
Reborn smirked.  
"PK would be referring to Psychokinesis, wouldn't it?" he mused, a chuckle rumbling from his chest.  
"Uh-huh! How do you know?" I asked, curious.  
"I was an Arcobaleno, so I've been around the block a few times..."  
His phone pinged, and he flipped it open, before pocketing it again.  
I sighed, before gulping round the rest of my drink, followed by quickly trying to cool my burning tongue, as I grinned and got up.  
"Well, I'll be busy tomorrow! I have a report due for Japanese and then I have to get to work on time! Getting some rest would be good!" I beamed, before returning to my room...


	5. The Old Kindergarten #1: Milena Kozato

Tsuna's POV:  
Reborn told me about Mai's dream, and she turned out correct.  
That afternoon, a woman came in saying the closed-down Kindergarden she works at has been having weird sounds and a figure seen at the window, lately.  
Mai had been helping Chrome with getting Mukuro to put his ninja-knife away, and in the end he had exchanged it for pulling both Chrome and Mai into his lap with a chuckle, arms around their middles.  
I could tell with a glance his intentions, yet seeing both Oliver and Dad looking ready to kill as Yasu and Eugene were discussing something was rather unnerving.  
"Mukuro, can you please relinquish my sister and my Mist Guardian? They're not your toys, and to be honest you're annoying Mai's boss so the corners of the room are starting to resemble when I use Zero-Point Breakthrough." I asked politely as Mai buried her red face in her hands.  
"This is even more embarrassing than Yasu finding that Dog-Maid Cosplay..." Mai quietly moaned. "I bet he still has a photo..."  
Mukuro's grin widened, and he let them go, before gliding over to Yasu as Chrome thanked me quietly.  
That's when she had entered, dressed in a simple green shirt and pink skirt under a brown leather coat.  
"Excuse me... Is this SPR?" she asked.  
Naru had been waiting, putting down the clipboard with her message on and Lin entering with his laptop, ignoring the grinning trio in their little corner.  
  
Taking a seat, she had explained.  
"I first thought it was just the local children breaking in and playing pranks, but when I entered, the dust in the place had not been disturbed before I went there, and the window most people saw the supposed "figure" at was about two metres off the ground, so unless they had been able to move everything round, any child would have been unable to reach it... Anyway, the figure seen at that exact window was an old lady in about her late 50s or early 60s, and both cats and dogs steer clear of the area. There are also strange noises, like someone's walking about looking for something..." she looked sullen as she finished, and I smiled, calming her down.  
"So you just live next door?" Naru asked.  
"No, there's the new Kindergarden next door, the building was closed due to the structure not being sound enough after one of the children managed to smash a hole in the floor. No one was hurt, but it did mean we required building a safer place next door as the kids took shelter in a different Kindergarden during that time..." the woman explained. "I'm the official owner, seeing as my great-grandfather passed it to me in his will a month ago."  
Mai sent Naru a look, and he closed his book.  
"In that case, if you know of where we can take lodgings during that time, we will investigate." Naru nodded...  
  
Mai's POV:  
It felt weird as I walked up to the gate. Through it it was visible the grass was in dire need of trimming, and the building and gate both showed signs of abandonment, paint pealing in places and mold and dust visible on the not-yet boarded-up windows.  
"It's so weird being back here after practically eleven years..." I mused, "I never expected it to get this run down..."  
"Huh? You used to go here?" Monk asked.  
"Oh yeah! Back when Dad was still around, I remember a few things, but not everything.... Mostly Granny Melina..." I smiled.  
"The _Principessa_ dreamt of this, correct? Eugene was with her..." Reborn mused, sitting on the entrance's wall, by the gate, Gokudera leaning on the wall beside him.  
"Really?" Naru frowned, as I giggled, and looked to the other "guilty" party for help.  
"Huh, slipped my mind... I was just hitch-hiking the stuff Mai dreamt, to look after her..." Gene smiled, picking up a monitor, "It's a bit fuzzy, though..."  
"It was actually mostly my memories of her. Unlike the other children, she regularly visited me, telling me stories and stuff! We even visited the park once or twice..." I smiled, remembering.  
We entered the building, and I felt slightly saddened by the interior, equally as diminished as outside...  
  
I placed down the box I'd been carrying, Ayako wiping at one of the windows showing the yard, the room we were in being the old office.  
"Sorry to say this, Mai, but this place looks like it will fall apart at any moment." Yasu mused.  
"Likely, the last time it was just supposed movement and footsteps, it was just land subsidence." Gene mumbled.  
"Hey! When I was running and throwing stuff about the floor was fine." I objected, Tsuna smiling slightly at my retort.  
He paused as he glanced behind himself.  
"That's weird..." he mused, as Gokudera looked up from his own notepad (seriously? How can Gokudera be imitating .  
"What is?" I asked, hopping to his side.  
"If flames are used enough in one area, they leave behind a sort of residue, which is what the Box Weapons we have compress to keep the Weapons in question contained... Giannini and Shoichi explained it after I finally got them working together." Tsuna replied, a fond smile giving his face a soft, more warrior-worn look, as he looked at the rings he wore. "Of course, the Vongola Boxes recently got turned into rings, but still hold the same basis, as does the Vongola Rings," he smiled, before looking up as a thought crossed his mind. "You should probably learn about this sort of thing, as you should be holding the heart of the Sky Flame."  
"Yeah, but how do I know if I have it or not? I didn't even get pulled into the supernatural business until a year and a half ago..." I mumbled, pouting.  
"Mai, we're twins..." Tsuna visibly drooped, looking like an upset puppy. "I'm just worried about you getting hurt. some people have actually managed to get hurt or even killed by their own flames in the past, and even I sort of ended up in a singed heap when starting with my flames, whenever Reborn would use the Dying Will Bullet on me..."  
"As you were saying, Sawada-san, there's a lot of "residue", should I take it that's abnormal?" Naru called, his notebook already out as he leant against the door's frame.  
"Of course, definitely on not-swimming-in-it levels as is within the building." Tsuna nodded. "It's like we're standing inside an over-sized Box Weapon, the residue concentrates enough, and pure flames will ripple about with the concentration."  
The cameras were easy to set up, two angles for each room, five cameras in total.  
I collected the temperatures, pausing as I came to stand in the largest room, which I could still remember...  
  
 _Blue wallpaper with cartoon animals on, white curtains on the clean windows, as multicoloured boxes and toys lay around, areas given a masking-tape border for age-groups, though the elder ones helping and interacting with the younger ones was encouraged; younger learning to respect the elder, and elder learning to care for and aid the younger.  
I could see she had been turned back into a three-year-old in the direction I was looking, yet I felt solid? Why is the room so... Empty?..._  
  
"Mai?"  
I sharply looked up, almost falling over at the sight of Tsuna standing too close.  
"Sorry, I was... Just memories..." I smiled...  
  
Naru's POV:  
"What is it?" Lin asked, and I looked up in surprise, remaining silent. "You looked worried."  
I focused on Lin, ignoring the rest of the room, before pushing it aside and turning to the monitors, eyes falling on the top left one, where Tsuna and Mai were, feeling a hint of annoyance and envy while watching them.  
"You're worried about Mai, aren't you?"  
I didn't let the fact he had hit the mark show, chewing on that, before lowering my pen.  
"She's been here before. I'd remove her from the case, but I've a feeling that then we wouldn't have our bait." I stated.  
Mai and Tsuna soon return, Mai carrying the clipboard as Tsuna carried the tea-things, along with a small box.  
"Coffee - I got annoyed with the shop-bought stuff, so make my own." Tsuna smiled.  
"Can I try?" Monk perked up at the prospective of coffee.  
"Sure." Tsuna nodded, as Mai started on her tea...  
  
As it turns out, Yasu and Gene started calling Tsuna and Mai the "barrister twins", since Tsuna's coffee was made in the thick, Italian style, which Monk was more than happy to have, while Mai's tea is... Well, Mai's tea - not that I'm going to admit it's my favourite...  
  
There is no activity until night falls, and activity starts happening in the main room.  
"Oh my!" Masako gasps. "There's an old lady there!"  
Mai's jaw dropped, as she looked at the monitor.  
"Why?" she muttered, face turning pale.  
Tsuna quickly pulled her away.  
"Don't look, she looks OK, anyway, it's not like she's re-living her death, or anything..." Tsuna smiled.  
"She's searching for something." Masako stated, not wanting to be left out of the lime light which the show of sibling-love Mai and Tsuna had been able to conjure in mere seconds "stole".  
I frowned.  
 _Maybe I should take her off the ca-_  
The air's temperature suddenly dropped as soon as a terrified sob left Mai's mouth, and I stood, as did Lin, while Tsuna pulled Mai as close as possible, sky flames flying up on his ring.  
"Mai..." the voice filled the room. "Mia poccolo angelo..."  
The figure formed, as Tsuna quickly stepped in front of Mai.  
"Signora Kozato..." he muttered.  
"Hmm? Isn't it little Tsu-kun!" she smiled, as Tsuna spread the flame to the lion-head-ornamented ring.  
"Why are you even here? Last I know, your familia was on Shimon Island, until Enma and his guardians came to fulfil the pact Vongola Primo and Shimon Primo made all those years ago." Tsuna growled.  
"It has been, and will forever be, one of the Cuore Fiamma's duties..." she said softly, "Like the spirits of the Primo and his Guardians within your rings, I cannot pass on until the "Inheritance" is properly claimed... But for that, now she is of age, I need Mai..."


	6. The Old Kindergarten #2: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!

Tsuna's POV:  
"I need Mai."  
My blood turned cold as my Intuition screamed to protect Mai.  
"Why? What do you want from her?" I asked, reaching out my hand to hers.  
She took it.  
"I want to protect her. Step aside."  
I was suddenly thrown onto the ceiling as Mai was pulled forward, and I could feel her grip tight on mine.  
"Gokude-" I began, before the ghost saw the others approaching, and threw them back.  
 _Earth Flames..._  
"Mai!"  
I tried using the X-Burner to fly to her, yet gravity was increased until I was pinned flat.  
I gritted my teeth, as the wood above me cracked, and I hurled out more flame, soon managing to get to my feet on the ceiling, before flying at high speed about, finally grabbing my recently-relocated twin as I hurtled through the door.  
I gritted my teeth as gravity began acting on the both of us, before finally getting outside, being released so fast I almost made a dent in the wall, though thankfully I had rotated so Mai didn't get hurt, moving my feet so instead I slowed down.  
Getting up with a wince, I quickly checked Mai over, as I dialled Ryohei...  
  
Gene's POV:  
Mai was sent home, Tsuna sending Ryohei to look after her and heal the pair of them.  
Hoshou had been there as Ayako had clicked over the twins, and Ryohei had to tell her to get out the way more than once as he healed us up, glancing at Monk.  
"Tell me, that event you said about flames back when Mai's power awoke... Who had yellow?" he asked.  
"Monk and I." I smiled.  
"Good." Ryohei grinned...  
  
In about three minutes, he had managed to get us (somehow, despite his "Extreme roaring"), to create our own sun flames.  
He had also got the others to harness their flames...  
Though Mai appeared to have problems.  
She could summon them, but it was like something was restraining her power...  
  
Later, I found her at the wall-windows in the mansion Tsuna's family owned nearby, watching the world go past with a small, sad smile.  
I was about to walk over, before seeing Yamamoto and ducking out of sight.  
"Hey." he smiled.  
"Oh, um, hi." Mai replied.  
They were silent, as I stopped Tsuna from ruining the peace they had, signalling for silence as we heard them speak.  
"At this point, my friend would've asked me; "why are you so sad", then I'd tell them." Yamamoto smiled.  
"Haha... It's nothing really..." Mai replied, and Tsuna gave me a look, as we spied on them.  
"That's something I'd say when I didn't want to say... Right?" Yamamoto smiled.  
"Well...." she glanced at him. "Promise not to tell?"  
"Yup!"  
She was silent for a moment, as she pulled her hair back behind her ear.  
"In school, I'm average, used to a bit of bullying here and there, though it usually only lasts for about a week, then I meet my current boss, and become part of Shibuya Psychic Research, and I'm shown that even though I'm working to keep my home unlike others my age, all my friends and coworkers are much more successful than me, and much more useful... Masako's a Medium, Gene a Perfect Medium. Naru's a reknown PK user and researcher, while Lin's an Omnyoji, Hoshou's a Monk and Bass player in a band, Ayako professional Doctor and a self-styled Priestess who can talk so easily to tree-spirits, Madoka and Yasu are awesome researchers themselves as John's a Priest, having gained such while about 19... I'm just... Me." Mai chuckled. "Then you guys appear, and I see you're all equally as awesome - so young, yet already in charge of the Vongola, all able to fight well, and all with such amazing flames that I just... Y'know..."  
"Feel smaller?" Yamamoto laughed, before smiling. "Tsuna used to be called Dame-Tsuna, and walked about as if he had a target on his back. Only through literal months of nearly dying saving everyone has he actually been able to do this, and back in Nanimori, where we do get to learn, he still has to pretend to be that, though we can fend of the bullies now, because everything's so high-profile and secretive..." Yamamoto grinned. "Also, you were able to have that _premonition_ before everyone else, and, according to your file and Gene, managed to save all your friends back at the lake, before any of you were pulled into that teacher's "school"..."  
Mai shrugged.  
"So did Gene..." she smiled. "He also was the one to tell me what to do..."  
Yamamoto glanced our way.  
"I don't think Gene'd agree with you." he grinned, turning to lean in the window.  
Tsuna took that as his cue.  
"Kyoko said about a minute ago that she and Haru will have food ready in five minutes. It's Yamamoto's turn for setting the table after Ryohei did breakfast..."  
Tsuna sighed, as Yamamoto ran past.  
"Oh, and..." he yanked me out from my hiding spot. "He's been eavesdropping, and stopped me from ruining what he called "your moment"..." he smiled, before pulling Mai into a hug.  
I chuckled as Mai gave a small yelp like a puppy, and looked up at her twin.  
"Even if I couldn't be there while we were little, I promise I'm never going to let you go and be alone again, OK? Any troubles, and you have us."  
Mai blushed, before snorting as she started to laugh.  
"Onii-san's always acts so cool, yet his eyes are always so cute!" she giggled, before we went for lunch...  
  
  
SPR sat opposite the Guardians, Mai beside Tsuna, opposite Reborn, at the head of the table, Iemitsu having been sat on the opposite end of the line of guardians and friends..  
"There's a lot of free seats..." Monk mused.  
"Usually when we live around here, some of our friends find out we're in town, so come to find us... There's Byakuran and his friends, Xanxus and the Varia, Enma and his Family..."  
Tsuna paused when Mai lowered the spoon for her soup, a small crease of a frown on her lips.  
"Do you think we could meet Enma? It's his Great Aunt who was trying to get hold of me..." Mai asked.  
"Sure!" Tsuna nodded, as Mai ate another mouthful.  
Noises could be heard, before there was a murmur.  
Tsuna pushed his seat back, as there was the sound of one set of footsteps speeding up into a run, soon a white blur latching onto him.  
"TSU~KUN!" an albino ikemen sang, multicoloured wings on his back.  
"Hello, Byakuran." Tsuna smiled, as he was released, the taller boy realising there was more than just his guardians in the room.  
"Who're they?" Byakuran asked.  
"My sister's team, Shibuya Psychic Research. Dad decided it'd be hilarious not to tell either Mai-chan or I that we were siblings and he had tried to add a second layer of protection to Mai by splitting us apart at birth. He never even visited Mai, and only now, when Mai's flames are going haywire, do we actually meet and find out all of this...." Tsuna whispered something after that, and Byakuran lit up, almost literally with the way his flame-formed wings shone.  
"Ho ho..." Byakuran beamed, as his friends arrived. "In that case; Mai and company, meet my own family; my fiancee, Yuni, and my friends Zakuro, Kikyo, Daisy, Bluebell, Torikabuto, and Ghost..."  
"It's nice meeting you..." Mai smiled, standing.  
The girl with a gold cheek mark smiled.  
"Ah, it's nice finally meeting you, Mai-nee." Yuni smiled. "I'm Yuni... Byaku-kun didn't specify who was who - I'm still teaching him that sort of stuff...  
"Ah! OK!" Mai smiled.  
"Would you like to join us?" Haru asked.  
"Sure!" Yuni smiled.  
"We'll get the soup out, Tsuna had a feeling we'd get more visitors." Kyoko smiled, grabbing the bowls and spoons that had been left on a nearby table, arranging them to sit by Tsuna's group and Iemitsu, Byakuran taking the initiative and soon returning the room to its conversations.  
Obviously, Gene was straight away interested in Ghost, and Monk and Ayako were shooting glances at Torikabuto, who had raised his mask to his nose to eat, revealing soft, pale lips.  
Mai was talking with Tsuna more about their friends, and you could practically see how the two skies were already becoming thick as thieves, Reborn looking slightly pleased with himself for some weird reason...  
  
After, the group talked in the living room, before Mai excused herself to go and get ready for bed (Reborn, Iemitsu and Tsuna having ordered her to live with them until they could at least arrange better accommodation for her, though Naru's displeasure lead to her rooming with the girls, who were then joined by Yuni).  
Byakuran excused himself after...  
  
  
  
Tsuna's POV:  
  
The middle of the night was broken by sky flames.  
"BYAKURAN! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Yuni's voice had me - and Zakuro - out of our rooms in moments.  
Entering, we found the room lit by Byakuran's wings, which had shifted to earth and sky flames in contrast to their original white sky flames.  
"I shall unlock fate." the old lady's voice came from Byaukran's lips, Yuni pinned the wall as the other girls - somehow made to fall asleep again - were scattered about.  
"Mai!" I moved to fly after Mai when I felt a hand on my forehead.  
"Sleep." Milena smiled, and all turned black...


	7. The Old Kindergarten #3: The Locket

Naru's POV:  
I had my arms crossed as Lin drove as fast as legally possible to the old kindergarten.  
Arriving, we found Kikyo and Hibari waiting.  
"She possessed Byakuran." Kikyo growled.  
"Damn... We should've noticed." Gokudera growled, making me turn to see Tsuna unconscious in his lap.  
Lin frowned, walking over to Tsuna.  
"My shiki say he's being kept unconscious... His body's been slowed..." Lin stated, his eyes flashed the colour of emeralds, and he seemed to pull a sunset-orange string from Tsuna's forehead, frming it into a small ball, before his hands flashed green and ashes fell to his feet.  
Tsuna woke up slowly.  
I strode in, frowning.  
It was like something inside me was coiling about, and instinct took over.  
Throwing out a hand, violet snowflakes threw themselves about the building, as I walked to its heart, feeling for... Something.  
I felt it after snowflakes had sunk into the wood, it was below me.  
"Is there a basement or something?!" I called.  
"I'll call Yasu!" was the answer from Gokudera.  
 _Of course..._  
I could also feel how _full_ the air was, so I quickly pulled whatever the feeling I had back into my chest, making the stiffling feeling receed to a soft thrum.  
"It appears I have more to learn..." I muttered.  
  
Yasu arrived later with the others.Running into the basement, I froze at the sight.  
Mai was lying with her head in Milena's ghostly lap, Milena running her hands through my unconscious assistant's hair. Byakuran was slumped against the wall nearby, equally unconscious.  
Tsuna ran down.  
"Mai!" he called on instinct, making Milena look up with a morbid smile.  
"Tsu-kun, weren't you meant to be asleep.  
Tsuna froze, before passing me by, walking forward.  
"I want to be with Mai!" he replied.  
Sky flames ran round Mai and Milena to Tsuna, reaching his hip and giving a recognisable giggle.  
I bunched a fist as the three-year-old spirit-version of Mai pulled softly on his hand.  
"Tsu-nii!" she giggled.  
"Mai-nee." Tsuna smiled, sending a look to Gokudera and Hayato, Gokudera nodding as he pulled out his mobile.  
Sitting to lean against Milena and grabbing Mai's hand, his eyes drooped as the amber "string" Lin had pulled off him earlier wrapped around him.  
"See you in a bit... Mukuro..." he muttered, before faling unconscious, his sky flames whirling up as Mai's two-year-old self disappeared, before we heard running feet upstairs, as whoever Gokudera had finally called picked up.  
He walked outside, as we came to see two small sky-flame figures running around, the two-year-old figures laughing.  
"Do you think we'll find it?" Tsuna's three-year-old self asked.  
"Yep! It's shiny, and I think I saw Granny hiding it! We just got to find that floorboard!"  
More things appeared around the room - tables, chairs, toys, all in the shape of sky flames.  
"The Dresser!" Mai and Tsuna looked up from where they'd been on the floor to the grouped things in the heart of the room, running over "tape" as they reached a small object, both pulling on it.  
I tightened my fist.  
"Can we shift their flames at all?"  
"Gokudera's calling Yuni and Mukuro to help." Yamamoto stated. "Mukuro can "harden" the objects, and Yuni can manipulate Sky Flames, so therefore help "shift" things."  
"They'll be here in a few minutes - Chrome dragged Yuni and Mukuro to a cafe not far away to wait for us." Gokudera stated, before there was the sound of scraping, and "Tsuna" pulled the dresser slightly with Mai, the twins obviously finding it troublesome.  
The room suddenly flooded with colour, as I turned to see Yuni running forward as Mukuro marched in, a grin on his face as Chrome was helping with the illusion, helping us see things more easily.  
The dresser the pair were pulling was a bright pink, and it was teetering, before Yuni ran forward and stopped it falling on the younger version of Mai.  
The pair didn't seem to see her, though, as they finally got it far enough out of the way, kneeling on the bit of floor in the middle.  
"Which one bends best?" Mai asked.  
Tsuna found it first.  
"Here!" he esclaimed, and the two began trying to pull the board up.  
"Lin, the crowbar." I stated, watching as the pair struggled, their small hands unable to move it easily.  
"No need." Yamamoto hummed, pulling out his sword and cutting the wood quickly about a metre away from their hands.  
The two were pulling out small objects from between the floorboards in seconds, Tsuna giving a triumphant noise as Mai looked up with a pout.  
"Tsu-kun found it!" Tsuna sang.  
"Tsu-nii!" Mai whined, before they shared a look and giggled, before the entire lot of flames and objects disappeared, Yuni quickly catching a small, silver locket, a coat of arms on it.  
  
Taking it back downstairs, Yuni gently handed the locket to Milena.  
"Please... Pass on." she bowed.  
"Haha... Mai is my only decendant, inheriting my power, along with the power of those before us... There will be people after her, as there will be people after her own Guardians, of whom stand before me now, though I don't think they know it just yet...  
They'll be unconscious while I hang about a while longer... Think of the locket as a key... The "chest" lies in the bottom of the pond of the local park... See to it that your not seen..." her aura changed, as her form changed from blue to purple. "If you are seen, I will not forgive any of you..."  
With that, she faded away..  
  
We couldn't pull their hands apart, so in the end, I was acting as Mai's pillow while Gokudera was once again Tsuna's.  
"So, we can say the Old Kindergarden will no longer be haunted, but now we have to deal with finding this pond." Gokudera snorted.  
"Sounds like trying to find Gene's body all over again..." I snorted.  
Said twin was sitting opposite Yamamoto as feet-props.  
"Hey! I got saved but trying to remember to tell you I was in a coma sounded a lot harsher than the fact _you already presumed me dead_!"  
"There _was_ the green flash." I replied curtly, my hand shooting out like Gene's as we reached a traffic light.  
Eugene sighed.  
"OK, so I was _temporarily_ dead." Eugene grumbled. "But, thinking  about it, it could've just been my soul disconnecting from my body... Which would explain why watching me astral project shows everything with a green tint."  
"Purple flashes..."  
"That's when we use your PK..." Gene mused.  
"Explain?" Gokudera asked.  
"Psychokinesis and Astral Projection resulting in an Out of Body Experience, it's what comes with Gene being a Perfect Medium, and Mai can also do it, though she's a Latent Psychic. I can also use psychometry, which means reading other people's things to see what's _happening_ to them, what _happened_ to them, and sometimes what _is going to happen_ to them. Greeen flashes mean Death, though what Gene just said could mean it's just when the soul leaves the body, most cases being death but in Gene's case just meaning Astral Projecting, and purple flashes are me or Gene using Psychokinesis to move something that's either stationary or moving - PK-MT and PK-ST. Gene and I can also see eachother or interact with eachother through a Psychic link, also known as telepathy." I explained curtly.  
"Haha, this is why he's our Idiot Scientist - always giving the textbook answer." Gene grinned.  
"Stupid Medium." Naru mumbled back, noticing Gokudera was now sittiing there, open-mouthed and gawking.  
The pair shared a look, before Gene chuckled as Naru gave a small, rare smile.  
"We're not UMAs - Torikabuto warned us, since you asked him the same thing once." Gene smiled, making Yamamoto laugh...


	8. The Old Kindergarten #4: The Park

Naru's POV:  
"Why do I feel like a robber?" Monk asked as he pulled on waterproof trousers over his jeans in the office.  
"We're not meant to be seen." Gene repeated.  
"It'll be fine." Yasu grinned, attracting everyone's attention as I looked at my watch. "It's not like any of us have broken the law before, right?"  
Had they looked over at Lin at that point like I did, they would've probably seen the spider-like flinch of his leg before he corrected his balance.  
"Ah." Gene looked slightly guilty for a moment. "Does unintentionally stealing chocolate as a three-year-old count?" he scratched the back of his head.  
"Were you caught?" Yasu asked, Monk pausing behind him in zipping up his jacket.  
"It was mine." I stated. "Of course he was."  
"Then it's fine!" Yasu grinned...  
  
  
  
Gene's POV:  
  
The drive there was silent, they only made noise upon reaching the ponds in question - they had to search three of them.  
Of course, Naru still remembered the feeling from back when he used snowflakes.  
"This will be quick." he muttered, soft purple icicles forming around his hands, before bursting into small powdery pieces which shot through the water...  
The pond he was at was the wrong one.  
"Not here." I radioed.  
"We're still searching, how on earth-"  
"Flames." Naru stated, taking the radio off me. "Imagine projecting your heat through your fingers with your determination."  
"What?" Monk asked after a pause.  
"Dull it into what you call three-year-old talk." I grinned.  
"No."  
"Naru, what do you mean heat through your body?"  
Naru sighed.  
"Think the warmth in your heart stretching to your fingertips with your determination, before stretching into the water and sending back little sparks stating what's on the bottom - there should be a reaction." he growled...  
...  
...  
I started to chuckle as Monk's laughter could be heard.  
"Get Yasu to do it, _now_." Naru growled, pinched mouth betraying his embarrassment.  
  
"Sure, sure..." Monk gasped.  
"Did I just hear what I think I did?" Ayako's voice came through. "Oh, and John's singing."  
"What?" Naru asked.  
"It's like he's moving the water with his voice, though it's just a simple hymn... He sounds good, too." Ayako grinned.  
"YOU ARE HAVING HIM SHOW ME LATER!" Monk replied in a growled hiss.  
"I'll ask." is all Ayako replied...  
  
  
  
Ayako's POV:  
I looked up as John was kneeling down, still softly singing.  
 _"Amen, amen,_  
And so again,  
The lo~rd sang  
Amen..."  
He turned it into humming as his eyes widened slightly, a small box rising up into his hands, glowing a deep navy-blue as it touched his fingers softly.  
There was a soft click, and he hurried back to me. I quickly pulled it away from him, only for it to change to a pale lime green as a second click echoed.  
I put it down, as the glowing stopped.  
Sighing, I put it in a second box, calling the others as we headed back to the old kindergarden...  
  
 

 

Naru’s POV:

I was with the others at the Old Kindergarden, waiting for the twins to wake as Byakuran came round, Yuni fussing over him as a new group – the Earth Flame Users – spoke with Grandma Milena.

“Found it!” Ayako smiled, entering, “And no one saw!”

I pulled the box from her hand, to which it softly glowed, a small click resounding.

“Ah yes… Each property of the Harmony Flames are needed to open it… I have lost that balance, so we require Mai’s Guardians to open it.”

“How did you get it?” I asked, not letting my curiosity show.

“John sang.” Ayako stated, to which John looked at his feet, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze as he gave a small, sad smile.

Milena laughed.

“As goes with the Song Dragon of Rain and Lava.”

John’s head shot up, as the old lady smiled.

“Seven Dragons – Song, Holy, Rock, Light, Thunder, Illusion and Celestial. My three dears will remember once their memories of this place are fully restored.” the ghost replied.

“Three? But so far it was just Tsuna and Mai…” Monk mused, before Gene’s eyes widened as he finally saw the similarities.

“ _Seriously?!_ ” he exclaimed, “Did you do that to _all_ the heirs of Shimon and Vongola?!”

Enma looked shocked for a second, turning back to the smiling ghost.

“Do what?” Ryohei asked.

“Taught then hid.” Naru stated. “Going as far as modifying people’s memories with the Harmony Flame, before she passed away… Or should I say shot dead?”

“How do you know?” the smile had frozen.

“Lin.” Naru looked over his shoulder.

“Had Yasu not said, I myself wouldn’t have remembered - “did you kill someone? If not, you’re fine…” The countenance of someone shot is sort of similar to the one shooting – they are always shielding where they were shot, or trying to stop the next victim from being harmed. You kept on saying things about protecting Mai, like something bad would happen without _you_ in particular there. You also always purposely avoided taking Mai via any routes along which other people could reach, even ensuring Byakuran had a high-output and was firmly under your control through Yuni before you abducted Mai, keeping him unconscious so he could not betray locations, after all – two can keep a secret if one of them is dead”…” Lin paused, observing the ghost, his entire countenance and aura having sharpened, crackling like electricity. “But then you also have how Mai, of all the associates she – and you – have had before she met Naru and the rest of us have either moved or died. Keiko and Michiru, despite her personality, are her only two friends, like intentionally she has been distanced from the rest of her class… Therefore, could it be something has been after Mai all this time, that you have been trying to protect everyone from, so they remain peaceful Civilians?”

The ghost had turned a deep indigo with sadness and anger.

“Who are you?” she growled, making some of the strangers prepare for a fight.

Lin stepped forward, his eye gaining dark, moss-green flames.

“Lin Kojou.” he stated simply. “Omnyouji and the Davis’ teacher, bodyguard and temporary guardian.”

“Hn, how Mai got you on her side baffles me.” the ghost snorted. “You’ve seen that side, haven’t you?”

“When I chose to shield someone close to me from it.” Lin’s terrifying aura dropped in a millisecond, as he smirked, Hibari looking ready to pounce on him. “Mai reminds me of them, some what.”

He took the box, a fourth click filling the air, before he threw it to Yasu and Monk, the pair catching it, making yet another pair of clicks fill the air, before the box opened, gold light shooting across, hitting Enma, Mai and Tsuna.

The room was filled with light for a moment, before it cleared.

“WHAT ON EARTH?!” Monk exclaimed.

“WHAT WAS THAT EXTREME LIGHT?!” Ryohei roared.

Enma was on his knees, hands over his face as he was trembling.

“What…” he croaked.

“Memories, my little En-kun.” Milena smiled, reaching over to pat his head with a soft smile, as tears began running down his cheeks.

“We all saw… I-…” he heaved.

“Yes… Give my love to Tsu-kun and Mai-chan, ne?” she smiled.

Enma nodded, as the ghost finally was surrounded by gold light, as Tsuna and Mai stirred.

“Nii-san…” Mai muttered, as she finally awoke, before seeing his tears. “Ah! Don’t cry!”

She pulled the boy into a hug, as she began to sniffle. “Granny just… She’s happy…”

I snorted.

“Tearful reunions aren’t good in places like this, the moon’s out.” I stated, walking from the room, Gene in tow with Lin…

 

Mai, Tsuna and Enma sat on the couch in the reception, talking. Mai was sitting between the other two, her head on her tin’s shoulder.

“Naru, you’re going to burn holes in Tsuna in a minute.” Gene chuckled.

“Have you phoned Luella yet?” I simply replied.

“Um…” Gene chuckled.

I opened my phone, letting it ring.

“Hello?” Martin asked.

“Where’s Luella?” I asked.

“Why?” he asked.

“Gene’s alive, and sitting beside me. He was in a coma until a while ago when a ghost related to Mai nudged him back.” I stated simply.

There was the sound of Martin falling into his chair.

“But I though he drowned?”

“That turns out to be merely the soul departing the body, not the actual end of life.”

“…” I listened as he moved throughout the building he was in, before the phone was passed to someone.

“Yes?” Luella asked, as I put the phone on speaker.

Gene took a breath.

“H-hi, Mum…” Gene smiled. “It’s Gene…”

There was silence.

“Naru?” she asked.

“I’m right here, Gene-” I paused, before leaning forward to flick Gene’s cheek.

“Hey!”

“Is definitely alive.” I replied, ignoring Gene’s annoyed yells at being flicked below his eye.

Luella was silent, before a soft sob was audible.

“This is why I was going to go in person.” Gene whined.

“Shush, we’re preoccupied with Mai here.” I flatly retorted.

“H-how?” Luella asked, a soft thud as she fell to her knees audible, before the sound of Martin putting the phone on speaker was heard with the automated notification.

“I was with Mai, as her spirit guide. I _thought_ I was dead, I _believed_ I had died… But then this guy called Ieyasu Sawada, or Giotto Vongola, came when Mai’s pyrokinetic abilities emerged… He reconnected my mind and body, so I woke up in ICU… Then I found a guy who was Sawada’s descendant, called Tsunayoshi Sawada – Mai’s long lost twin, their Dad having parted them at birth for some paranoid protective purpose… So while Tsuna and Mai were reunited, I got slapped by Naru for scaring him and then hugged, a rare thing, right?” Gene himself was crying by this point. “Haha…”

“Stupid.” I stated, moving my chair to be by his.

“I’m just… Happy…” he smiled, before breaking down as I pulled him into a hug.

After a pause, he giggled.

“I wonder who’s going to be reunited with a sibling next, eh?”…  
  
 **The Old Kindergarden: Case Closed.**


	9. Harmony Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have I ever told you that Kyoya and Lin are my favourite stoic men?

Tsuna's POV:  
Enma and I could finally remember...  
We were practically brothers back when children, before people died and Mai was moved to Shibuya, as Enma was returned to the Shimon Island...  
Where his family died.  
Reborn looked up from cleaning his gun, we were in the SPR office, Yasu working behind me.  
"Moping isn't good for Bosses, Dame-Tsuna." he flatly stated.  
"Reborn~..."  
He looked at Mai, who smiled.  
"Why do you always call Tsu-nii "Dame"?" she asked.  
I could see the cogs turning, as his face turned blank, and he returned to his guns.  
"Tsuna also had his flames sealed when small, but by the Ninth. He grew up stupid and awkward, more of a dame than he would've otherwise been. Enma, too, acts similar. I merely had to unveil the potential both had." he replied.  
"Well, had they not had their hardships, wouldn't that mean they'd be as nice as they are now?"  
I was taken aback slightly at her words.  
"I mean; had Tsu-nii and En-nii grown up cool, and with more friends, they wouldn't have learnt things that could be seen from the perspective of those who got the worst of life - I feel even I would not be who I am today without Mama and Granny."  
Reborn smirked, before lightly hitting her with the heel of his gun.  
"You're too young to start preaching about fate, Idiot-Mai." he stated, as Mai made a noise of complaint.  
"When he was in baby size he'd kick my head." I smiled, rubbing the spot gently, before avoiding the bullet he fired. "Now he does that."  
"Hn." Reborn growled, putting the gun in its holster. "It's not as good as Leon is, but he's currently sleeping."  
The door slammed open, Kyoya appearing looking highly irritated.  
"Herbivore." he stated, slamming open Lin's Office door. "Fight me."  
"Eh?!" Tsuna exclaimed, Mai's jaw dropping, Gene peering out of the CEO's Office, Naru pushing past him.  
"If you must cause a ruckus, take it outside, else I'll have you pay for any damages." Naru growled.  
Lin refused the fight.  
"Hn. I'll take the baby herbivore off your hands then."  
"He means John." Naru stated, watching Lin, before calmly moving away as Lin emerged, standing his full height.  
"Let me get my _Móbàng_." he muttered.  
" _Móbàng_?" Mai asked, tilting her head, Reborn looking up at the unfamiliar name.  
"My weapon." Lin stated calmly, re-entering his office, emerging a while later, no weapons in sight.  
"Where are they?" Gene asked, and Lin reached into his shirt, showing an ornately carved green stick.  
"Oh." Gene mused.  
"You can watch, I'll stop any stray attacks." Lin said calmly, marching for the door. "I know a good park we can fight in."  
Kyoya gave his usual single-syllable reply, tailing the twin's bodyguard, the others following...  
  
  
The park was oddly empty, and the small group of witnesses (Reborn, the twins, Yasu, Enma, Mai and I) sat under a tree to watch.  
The two black-haired boys stood opposite each other, still.  
"Go." Reborn stated.  
The two immediately raced for the other...  
Lin pulled out two green sticks, sticking them together as a _bang_ ,  blocking, before whacking the underside of Kyoya's chin, Lin detaching it again to defend from the other tonfa.  
Lin twirled, whacking Kyoya's shoulder, before clicking something on the two things, making them detach again into nun-chucks as he blocked another blow, using the chain to grab the end of a tonfa and hit Kyoya's chest, before turning.  
Kyoya got annoyed, letting his own chain-sections emerge as he defended, before deploying the spike parts.  
From where they were looking, the pair were an equal match.  
"Lin's not using his full power." Naru stated, turning a page of his book.  
"Want me to speed things up?" Yasu asked.  
"How do you do that?" Gene asked.  
"Oh, it's easy." Yasu shrugged, before cupping his hands around his mouth as he called out to the pair.  
"LIN! IT'S NOT PLAYTIME! ISN'T JOHN GOING TO LUNCH WITH YOU TODAY?! JUST USE YOUR FULL POWER!"  
Kyoya growled something as Lin paused, chuckling.  
"Ah." Gene mused.  
"What?" Enma asked.  
"That's the "time to remove the fly" chuckle; Kyoya's going to end up on defence quite a bit more, or unconscious." Naru mused, still reading.  
Mai gawped, as Lin quickly moved a leg, Kyoya jumping away, before they charged.  
Kyoya was on the defence as one end of either nun-chuck revealed a blade, Lin doing a flip as he dodged a hit and floored the prefect with just his legs, the blade clicking neatly to create a wakizashi, Lin placing the blade close to Kyoya's throat.  
Kyoya growled, as Lin got off after a short pause, returning his weapons to their original form, sliding them back into his shirt, walking back to us.  
Reborn chuckled softly.  
"I'd recognise that style anywhere,  _Shengshi Longteng_." Reborn mused. "Where did you get that weapon, anyway?"  
" _Mèimei_ made it for me, before I had to leave to protect her, losing contact, so she probably hates me by this point." Lin shrugged. "I just fitted my style to it, and exchanged parts as I grew so it still fits."  
Reborn nodded, thinking...  
  
When they got back, Lin moved to put his weapon away.  
"Is your sister happen to be Lin Jingyi?" he asked. "Long black hair, blue eyes, petite..."  
Lin looked over at him, the answer in his features, as Reborn face-palmed.  
"I'm going to kill Verde..." he growled. "He took her under his wing three years ago after a Boss heard she was building unique weapons and tried "obtaining" her..."  
Lin gave a low growl.  
"I'd like to meet this Verde."  
The door opened, and Lin straight away dropped the angered aura as John appeared, slightly out of breath.  
"Does a case from Australia sound OK?" he asked, catching his breath...


	10. The Old Church #1: Jingyi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...  
>  So many Sister!OCs...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I do have a recurring theme for naming certain things! How did you know?! X'D

John's POV:  
After explaining about the poltergeist and random fires going on at the Church I grew up in, everyone had packed, and now we were on a private plane owned by the Vongola flying to it.  
My phone buzzed, and I picked up.  
"Hey, John!" Bertie smiled. "I heard you should arrive I a short while, and I forgot to mention, there's a second research team on site, though they don't deal with ghosts, they're more interested in the random fires created... Does Verde di Vongola ring a bell?"  
"What's Verde di Vongola?" I asked, not noticing I'd grabbed the attention of the others, before seeing Naru's look, and getting the phone on speaker.  
"Well, it's a small research team led by a man called Verde, with three others; Shouichi, Spanner and Jingyi. Is that OK?"  
Lin was practically floored at the names.  
"Eh?! Lin?!" John asked.  
Lin replied with a very uncharacteristic groan.  
"Speak of the devil and it shall appear." he grumbled, making Gene and Yasu chuckle...  
  
I discovered what he meant when a black streak shot from the church and floored Lin.  
"Dàgē!" the woman hugging Lin snuggled into him. "I missed you~!"  
"Hmm, so this is Kojou?"  
The voice had Lin out of his shock and alert in seconds.  
"Yep!" Jingyi cheered, not noticing how Lin was silently being crushed beneath her weight - they were no longer the small, light children they used to be.  
 Lin was let go, and he got up, staying close to his little sister, before moving as soon as Naru gave him a look, silently moving to open the van.  
"So you're the other team on site?" Naru asked.  
"The place is brimming with flame energy - of course I wish to find the source of the phenomenon," Verde replied, ignoring how  
 Jingyi decided to giggle and run inside, stealing the monitor Lin had just pulled out, Monk running after her with a small yelp as ice mysteriously flicked him forwards.  
"Chaos." Reborn muttered, adjusting his hat after the ride.  
Verde raised an eyebrow.  
"Mai, keep close," Reborn ordered Mai nodding.  
"Am I an enemy at the moment?" Verde drawled.  
"This." Tsuna held out the letter, and Verde raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh... Heh, I'm currently working under you, Vongola. I know how easily I can get in trouble and have my entire lab destroyed if I ever angered your Famiglia or family." he chuckled, looking at the rest of us. "I also have a feeling pico Principessa has already got her Famiglia."  
Reborn doesn't drop his guard, and Naru picks up on the distrust, his eyes narrowing slightly.  
"JO~HN!"  
Lin was standing between me and the group of boys in a millisecond, stance firm as he stopped them from reaching his friend.  
"John! Sing!"  
The only way of describing the group of boys was a pack of salivating wolves.  
Lin's hand itched, as he saw their eyes.  
"N-no!" John shook his head.  
Lin threw one boy who tried dodging around him, Mobang quickly being equipped to stop the other two, eyes hardening as he froze the boys in place.  
"Leave him be." Lin growled, the boys scampering away at high speed.  
Putting his mobang away as fast as he had taken it out, Lin returned to sort out the gear we needed.  
Naru frowned at the retreating people, before getting us to move things inside...  
  
  
Later, as I was sitting in base with Mai, Reborn, Tsuna, Lin and Kazuya, Lin sitting beside me as the monitors were set up, I was surprised when Jingyi appeared.  
"Joh~n..."  
"Yes?" I asked, smiling...  
I didn't expect her to promptly lift me up in a hug as she squealed happily.  
"So cute! You're perfect!"  
Strong arms grabbed my waist, pulling me away, Lin frowning at Jingyi.  
"Hey?!" Jingyi pouted.  
Lin replied in his usual tone of silence, getting a happy giggle from Jingyi.  
"I decided to see if I'm allowed to update your Mobang so it can disrupt the field of the ghosts if they get too close and to channel your flames more accuratly."  
Lin tilted his head slightly, Jingyi holding out a copy in its bang form.  
Lin sighed, pulling out his own as he took the other.  
"Love you, Kojou!"  
Lin's eyes widened as he gained yet another hug, yet had to stop Jingyi hitting his Mobang against the desk.  
Jingyi smiled at me, whispering "you are perfect for a brother-in-law" before running off....  
 _Eh~?!_  
She cheerily ran out of the room, as I tried to get over what she had said...


	11. The Old Church #2: Flames

Mai's POV:  
I smiled as I served Yasu his tea, Reborn sipping his espresso as he waited for me nearby.  
"Thanks." he smiled, as he sat in front of the piles of paper, searching through with Madoka and Monk.  
"Mai smiled, as she looked up, seeing the other children in the library were watching them, heads turning away.  
"I wonder why everyone's acting like they are..." I mused.  
"That's a bit too philosophical for me to answer!" Yasu joked.  
I shook my head.  
"They're all focusing around John, even those who came here after John left, then they're acting jealous of us for working with him for some reason..." I mused.  
Reborn chuckled, attracting our attention.  
"Very perceptive, Principessa. It's similar to Yamamoto, back before he became a Guardian, and during his time with Tsuna." he mused.  
"Eh?" I tilted my head.  
"Rain characteristics cause people to find themselves calmed down and peaceful, as the property is Tranquillity. Lava characteristics are, in essence, the opposite, however, they have the property of Turbulence; John must be funnelling away all the negative emotions, while instilling a sense of peace with his flames, or flame..." Reborn stated.  
Yasu quickly recorded this, and handed it to me, who smiled in thanks, leading Reborn back to Naru...  
  
Naru smirked at the information.  
"Reborn said this..." Naru stated.  
"Yes." I nodded.  
"Tell me the others." Naru ordered, looking at Reborn.  
I gave him a look as Reborn moved to decline.  
"Hn... It's a basic yin-yang pattern: Sky has Harmony, while Earth has Incongruity; Rain has Tranquillity, while Lava has Turbulence." Reborn explained. "For you it would be Cloud and Glacier flames; Propagation and Reduction."  
Naru noted this down, as I decided to see what Tsuna and John were up to.  
Tsuna's Guardians were trying to interview the people around the orphanage and Church, though they only answered after they explained they were more with Tsuna than SPR.  
As I watched, I couldn't help but smile at how Tsuna was teaching John about his own flames, John trying to manipulate what looked like steam between his fingers and over his rosary beads as Tsuna was giving examples with his own flames.  
"Oh, hey, Mai." Tsuna smiled.  
"What are you doing?" I asked, smiling.  
"Oh, you can probably try it, too; I'm cultivating John's flames by getting him to manipulate them through his rosary." Tsuna replied. "Yes, it's most effective through his voice, but if he manages to move his flames further away from his voice, it means he doesn't have to worry about his flames every time he sings. That means he can control his flames better."  
"Oh~... So I can do it?" I asked, curious.  
"Well, you have Sky and Earth flames instead of John's.... Steam."  
John sent over a small smile, as he began focusing on wrapping his power around his hands in a fine layer.  
"Cool." I put the tray down. "So what do I do?"  
"Well, um-" Tsuna blushed slightly, before bringing out his own flames on his ring. "We generally tend to use something as a conduit to focus our power on, such as the Vongola Gear. If you have anything-"  
"Um..." I thought over what I have on me, before pulling out my key.  
"If I attach a bit of string to it, I could use it?" I hold the old thing up for Tsuna to see.  
"That's fine!" he smiled. "Now, try lighting your flames; think about what you love most and want to protect!"  
Soon, my key lit up with soft, amber flames, making me smile at how pretty they were.  
"Wow! You're a natural!" Tsuna smiled, "I took ages to think over what I had to focus on to light my flames!"  
"Haha, you're always so adorably clueless, Tsu-nii!" I replied, beaming, before extinguishing it as the door opened, John not that far behind as an old woman in nun's uniform looked in, before smiling.  
"Mother Bathory!" John smiled, standing.  
"My dear boy! How long it's been." she hugged him, John surprisingly a head taller than her. "I thought I'd come to see how you were all doing; anything yet?"  
"The ghost never tends to show for a few hours when new people arrive, so not just yet." I replied, smiling.  
"There have been a few readings, but we can't say for sure just yet." Naru agreed.  
"Well, in that case, I was hoping to ask John to lead the Evening Prayer. The Preparation is "A Purple Robe, A Crown of Thorn" and the Conclusion is "All things Bright and Beautiful". Is that alright?" she smiled, "I could ask Sister Weathers to lead, then you can just speak?"  
"Um... If Sister Weathers could, that would be lovely." John smiled.  
"Aw~, my little Angelican prodigy is all grown up!" the Mother smiled, cupping John's face, before kissing his forehead as John blushed, smiling. "I'm glad your Father asked about training you as soon as you turned ten; your eyes always sparkled so prettily whenever you sang for us."  
"Yes, Mother, I remember..." John smiled, "I just liked the Philosophy and Theology, and how I could work it into my Primary and Secondary school's work so I had an excuse..."  
Mother Bathory smiled sympathetically, before turning to go.  
"It's nice to have you back, Father Brown."  
"It's only for a while, but so far, it's been nice..." John nodded, before closing the door.


	12. The Old Church #3: Ghostie!

John's POV:  
"Prodigy?" Mai asked, curious.  
"When I was five, I fell into the river at the end of the church grounds by accident when leaf-racing with my big brother - that thing where you'd each drop a leaf into the water and the first one out from the opposite side of the bridge wins? Anyway, I remember feeling scared, before there was this sudden feeling of peace as I was lifted to the bank..." I shrugged. "Dad had me trying to manipulate water after, and I could when I sang, so we just kept it a secret as Dad talked with Mother Bathory to have me taught how to sing to control and help let out my ability whenever I had too much... I used the work I got when I turned ten as an excuse to avoid any bullies and fell in love with what I read... Then the bullies left and there were those who got addicted to my singing..." I pushed the memories away, as I gave a small smile. "Then I graduated and went to Japan! Fate is a very curious thing, right?"  
Mai smiled, giving me a hug, before grinning.  
"I've never seen a Church Service before..." she mused.  
I smile, as I go to prepare myself...  
  
  
  
I took a breath, as the event began to come to an end.  
"Let us begin, with the song "All things Bright and Beautiful", page 394." I smiles softly.  
The first chords come.  
I take a breath...  
Before I jump away from an attack, steam roaring up over my hands as I block a second and third attack.  
"Fou~nd you~..."  
The giggle made me falter, as the host came into view, diving for me...  
A blur knocked me out the way, Yasu letting the ghost race into his body.  
"YASU!" I froze in fear, panic grabbing my heart.  
Yasu fell to his knees, silent, before coughing, the ghost shooting out of him, screaming.  
"IDIOT! FOOL! BIRD-BRAIN!!" they screamed, as Yasu looked up, whipping  his mouth.  
"You don't like it, then?" he smirked. "My wonderland?"  
"SICKO! PERVY DELINQUENT! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HANGING WITH SUCH A PURE FLOWER AS MY CUTE JOHNNY YOU DEMON?!"  
"Ah~, who knows..." Yasu chuckled, sounding eerily like Tsunayoshi's friend, Mukuro. "I just know, that if anything happens to those I hold dear, I'll just be very, _very_ angry, ri~ght?"  
The ghost disappears, before Yasu grunts, nearly hitting the ground, hadn't I caught him...  
  
  
  
Yasu was unconscious for several hours, Naru acting indifferent, though he would glance over every now and then, frowning, as Ayako and Gene stayed close to his side.  
Mukuro had looked oddly pleased.  
The people who'd skipped out on the evening prayer had been Tsuna's friends Madoka, Lin and the twins. Mai hadn't fully been able to understand why they did, though Gene had chuckled lightly when asked.  
Yasu finally awoke the next morning as Mai arrived at base with Chrome.  
"Morning!" he grinned from the couch.  
"EHHH?!" Mai exclaimed, before huffing, and striding over. "Don't scare us like that again, Yasu!? What did you do?!"  
"Awe~, my cute little Mai cares!"  
Mai fumed, giving him a look.  
"OK, OK, I get it!" Yasu grinned, before adjusting his position. "The ghost thought possessing the person it was diving into would work, but for that to happen it has to get past the soul already there... It didn't like the realm I'd built around my soul..." Yasu smirked as he said the last bit, "Exactly how I intended!"  
Mai tilted her head, as Mukuro began laughing in his corner.  
"He made it look like the Human hell." he chuckled.  
"Too much?" Yasu asked.  
"No." Mukuro grinned.  
Gene gave an embarrassed laugh.  
"Why do I feel their getting along is a bad thing?" he asked.  
"Same..." Tsuna agreed, equally embarrassed...


	13. The Old Church #4: Who?

Tsuna's POV:  
John lets Ayako fuss over him as soon as he enters base, smiling softly.  
"It's OK, Yasu saved me... Thanks." John smiled, before we began talking over our next steps.  
"John, that ghost appears to know you." Monk asked, as Hayato looked up from his own notepad, interested, Eugene looking over from the monitors.  
John nodded, before explaining.  
"Mary, she was one of the people who liked helping me out, she'd sit and help me practice by listening, then pointing out where I was flat or something. One day she just... Wasn't there, Edward just said she had left with a new adoptive family, and didn't want me to worry..."  
"Edward?"  
"He was my tutor, as well as something of a big brother for me..." John shrugged. "I tried contacting him some time after I'd moved to Japan, but he didn't pick up."  
Yasu grabbed his laptop as he sat up.  
"Anyone we could ask?" Takeshi asked, smiling.  
"Who else? Mother Bathory..."  
  
Mother Bathory was in the greenhouse, tending to the tulips and lilies, smiling at us when she saw Lambo, John, Naru, Monk and I.  
"Questions? I'll answer," she smiled, before having a thought.  
"John, could you please go and help wake the children? Breakfast will be ready soon."  
"Sure!" John nodded, leaving, Lambo following when I gave him a small, questioning look.  
Verde entered a short while after.  
"Jingyi's finished sorting out Lin's Mobang." he stated.  
I nodded.  
"If you have any interesting readings from yesterday's event, could you listen with us, before helping us?"  
"...Fine, since you're asking." Verde stated after a pause.  
Naru handed Monk a recording device, before asking.  
"Mother Bathory, what can you tell us about yesterday's ghost?"  
"I've been thinking over it." the Mother replied, continuing in her work as she cut away dead leaves and uprooted weeds. "Mary, if my memory works well enough. She was part of a group us staff ended up calling "Johnny's Little Helpers", since they were the few who didn't try monopolizing John's time, instead helping him. Mary helped in practice, Janet helped in the library, Michael worked with John on learning prayers and the notes John made... Benjamin helped in ensuring the entire group ate and slept, Susan and Lucas helped deal with the fanclub chasing after John's singing, then Edward... Edward was the leader of the group, teaching John what he needed to know, as well as helping the others with the classes they were failing..."  
"Edward?"  
"Edward Jones... God have I never been fooled so easily by a man."  
"Fooled?" I asked.  
"Edward acted like a perfect angel to everyone, helping the staff when he could, pushing the little ones on the swings and organising little events for us, such as little sleepovers for the new orphans or people with nightmares... But then, children started disappearing. Every time it just looked like an accident had happened, the child had run away, or one of the adoptions going through... Before... Another method was included."  
"What method, Mother Bathory?" Naru asked, as the Mother stopped, rubbing her hands together nervously.  
"What me-"  
"Suicide..." her voice went soft. "Faked suicides... Starting with Janet, who was found hanging from one of the library ladders... Then it was Michael, he was drowned in the pond, which we had a fence built round after..."  
"How many victims?"  
"...21... Before Edward aimed for John..."  
Mai tenses, as Tsuna's eyes narrow.  
"We don't know what was going to happen, but Ed would invite the victim to their death, we caught him when he'd just knocked John out with a cup of tea... I had John kept in the dark, since he's always been so gentle, almost fragile, even as a boy, it was like one puff of wind and he'd be gone..." she smiled softly, "I didn't even let him know about his friends dying, saying they all "moved on"... He killed himself before the police arrived, threw himself out a window..."

It was at that point that they heard a rather recognisable scream, followed by a recognisable "LIIIIN!"

"John! Lambo!"...

 

Lambo was panicking as Lin was applying pressure on the wound on Jingyi's waist, Jingyi's face contorted in pain and anger.

"I DON'T CARE IF THAT ASS IS DEAD OR NOT! HE NOT ONLY KIDNAP JOHN, BUT HE'S SCREWING WITH HIS HEAD ALREADY!" she roared, as Ryohei, soon followed by Shoichi, began healing her, Lambo running into my arms as he began bawling in fear.

"I c-couldn't mo~ve!" he wailed.

"What. Happened." Naru demanded, as Mai moved to pet Lambo's head gently, helping me calm him down.

"W-We were waking people, like Mother Bathory told us... Then Edward showed up, and John move to greet him, before Jingyi told him to get away... He said part of the fault his friends dying was John... That he used him as a m-messenger..."

Naru looked ready to kill, as did Kyoya, Lin's emotions only showed through the sparks of green coming from under his fringe.

"We'll organise a search." I stated. "Naru, Yasu, you'll be working with Shoichi and Jingyi to see if there's any information on where the pair could be. Interviews will be conducted by Chrome, Monk, Ayako and Gene. Everyone else, we'll work on spreading out and searching for where they are.

"Not so fast, Dame-Tsuna."

Reborn walked over, hands in pockets.

"Reborn?" I asked.

"Nice to know you're working on your leadership, but think about it; who would know Edward best, what could be left behind, and _we have Mai_." Reborn stated.

I wondered at what he meant, before realizing.

"Mai, it looks like we'll have to start teaching you some more..."


	14. The Old Church #5: Edward

John's POV:

When I awoke, I was surrounded by my friends.

"Mary? Mich? Ben? Susan? Lucas? Janet?" I looked at the six, who were looking equally upset.

"We..."

"You're... I..." my vision went hazy with tears.

"Its not your fault." Michael was there, as I felt the others coming closer. "Edward tricked us."

"He's mad!" Janet whimpered. "He's completely-"

" _Johnny~..._ "

I stiffen in fear, as the others shot to try and protect me.

"Out of my way, brats."

Edward marched through the group, I push back into the wall at the sickening aura around him, squeezing my eyes shut in fear...

Being lifted up was a surprise, instinct resulting in my arms around his neck.

"What?" I ask, surprised.

"I missed you." he smiles, burying his face in my neck. "Did you miss me, John?"

"I... When I moved to Japan..." I stuttered, reddening at the proximity.

Brown eyes fixed on mine, as he chuckled.

I tried shifting away, before crying out as he adjusted his grip.

"Hyufufu, still so beautifully timid!" he chuckles, "You haven't changed a bit."

"Why did you-"

"They were in the way, you're too pure for anyone, I'm just removing the problems!" he purred.

"My friends are never problems!" I exclaimed.

He carries me through to a stairwell.

"Just a few moments more... Then you'll be mine forever more..." Edward laughs as he carries me up to the bell tower, allowing us to see the sunset amongst a cool, strong wind.

It would have been beautiful, were I not currently being treated like a doll by a ghost.

"What do you mean?" I ask scared, as he smiles.

He smiles, before we hear movement, and I'm dropped as he quickly and quietly closes the trapdoor, before turning towards me.

I back up, as he smiles.

"Just a little blood, a little push..." he drifts off in a chuckle.

I instinctively lash out as I jump back onto the rooftop.

He follows, as I back up, feeling slightly panicked.

I hear the trapdoor being bashed, Edward laughing.

"I thought they'd be too busy with the Chinese idiot - she was bleeding everywhere!"

"You hurt Jingyi?!" I exclaimed.

He smiles.

"One less problem, though I should probably have slaughtered the rest of your team, but as if they'd want to be friends with someone who _isn't even human_!"

The trapdoor crashed open, as I came to the edge of the roof.

I lanced back to see the trees behind me.

Looking back, Reborn was already moving to help me, Naru barking orders as I heard the door below open.

He turns, sending a windsickle at Reborn, cutting his arm.

Edward turns back, as my eyes fix on the blood, the world seemingly turning silent, as I take a breath.

_As I went down to the river to pray  
_

_Studyign about that good old way~_

_Who should I meet, the golden crown_

_Good Lord, show me the way._

 

_Come brothers let's go down_

_Let's go down, come on down,_

_Come brothers let's go down_

_Down in the river to pray..._

 

I allowed the words to be filled as I focused on that feeling at my core.

I opened my eyes as I smiled, allowing tears to fall, as blue flames rippled and smashed through Edward, who roared as I was thrown off the edge of the roof...

 

Monk's POV:

My heart nearly stopped as John crashed into the tree above me, Ryohei and Takeshi rushing to catch him as Reborn sent several rounds of Sunny Storm flames into the ghost for extra measure.

Thankfully, John only had bruised his ribs and depleted his flames, which Ryohei healed easily as Takeshi transferred over some of his.

Lin was _furious_ , though thankfully chose to control his anger...

(Resulting in even Hayato feeling slightly sympathetic when Lin was sending puppy-glances over at John once he was in base, being fed Rain flames by Takeshi.)


	15. Yasuhara Manor #1: Yasu returns home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haha! Almost caught up with m'brain!! XD  
> (sorta ;w;)

Mukuro's POV:

Two days later, whilst hanging in the office as Tsuna was ~~shirking his duties~~ talking with Mai, two men entered.

"Excuse me, we're looking for Yasuhara Osamu."

"Who's asking?" Yasu asked.

"Your Father, he wishes to see you," one of the men stated simply.

"I said no last time, why would I change my mind?" Yasu asked, voice like venom as he gave an innocent grin.

"Your little sister misses you and wishes for a visit, we could easily report to-"

"Fine!" Yasu snapped, "Let me ask Boss first, I'll be taking my week off early, it seems."

I allowed my eyes to narrow as I looked outside, spotting the limo, on which a Chauffer and two more bodyguards were leaning.

"I didn't know Yasu's family was rich."

"Eh?" Mai asked, hopping over to the window, before gasping.

"Wao! A stretched limo!?"

I glanced back to see one of the bodyguards watching us, to which I grinned, the bodyguard stiffening as he returned his focus to the door to Naru's office, as Yasu finally left.

"I'm going o be strictly on-call for a while! Bye, guys!" Yasu smiled, gaining cheery replies as Mai moved to hug him.

I returned my focus to the window as Tsuna distracted Mai, watching as Yasu was led over to the car, speaking with the men, before allowing one of them to pat him down as another took his bag, checking his pockets, before he entered the limo...

 

Yasu's POV:

I smiled as I st opposit my Father.

"Father," I greeted, the old man nodding.

"Your sister will be pleased with her brother home," he smirked, hatred obvious.

"You dare attempt one of your damn schemes and I'll bring the full force of Illusion on our home... Can't exactly stop me, can you?"

"You are merely the inheritor of my line's curse, the Dragons will be kept sealed, else Chaos will descend on our world."

"How do you know that for sure? How do you not know that they keep balance and our family is just full of greedy people wishing to use the power of illusion for personal gain?"

"Say that to our ancestors you foolish child!"

"I'm your son!"

Silver glinted, as a soft black haze dissipated around the old man.

"You are my family's Demon, speak a word of it to Megumi and I'll return you to the ashes and dust you came from."

...

...

"Yes, Father..."

 

 

Naru's POV:

We were allowed to visit a week after Yasu's prompt departure from the office, though we had been asked to bring our equipment with use due to Yasuhara-dono's wishes.

The road up to the house was long, giving away to woodland 200 meters (219 yards) before we reached the actual central house.

The four men on each side of the door bowed as our van and car arrived, Tsuna's own "commoner" car at the end of the convoy.

I helped Mai out, as the front doors opened to reveal a man who resembled a much older version of Yasu, dressed in a smart, golden-brown kimono with a cream obi and traditional geta.

"Ah," they smiled behind their fan, "You must be the group of investigators who my son works with! Come in, come in! Osamu will be with you shortly. I am Yasuhara Hebito."

"May I ask," Mukuro chuckled, "Where is he? I'm Rokudo Mukuro."

"In the open training area behind the house, Megumi wished to see her big brother practise."

Kyoya bowed neatly, as did I, before following him through the house, removing our shoes at the doorstep to the wooden patio.

Yasu was in a black kimono as he defended against his trainer's attacks, before striking out quickly to knock them in the gut.

A little girl with long, black hair, dressed in a sakura-pink kimono with a cream obi, a cream-haired doll in her arms in their own matching kimono.

"Osamu! Guests!"

Yasu blocked again as he looked over, smirking, before quickly hitting the trainer below the jaw with the heel of his hand, running over.

"Father! Guys! What are you doing here?"

"Inside, Megumi can play in her nursery as we talk."

Yasu frowns, before going over to the little girl, who smiles as she talks with her elder brother, allowing him to pick her up as he carries her over.

"Megu, these are my friends," he smiles softly.

"Hello! My name's Megumi!" the young girl beams.

"Hello, I'm Mai." Mai smiles, offering her hand, the girl cheerily taking it.

Further introductions were made to the girl, before a woman in a plain, grey kimono with a black obi and plain geta walked up.

"Megumi, it's time you allow the others to speak with the boys. Maybe you'd like to go and speak with your Mother while she works?" they calmly smile.

"Nursery, Kagechi."

"Hebito-dono," the nanny bows, Megumi coping the elder lady, before following them away.

Yasu glances at Hebito, before we follow him through...


	16. Yasuhara Manor #2: Siblings?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost 0v0

Naru's POV:

Yasu sat beside, slightly behind, his Father as the patriarch explained their case.

"There has been black shadows appearing almost randomly around the manor during all hours. It has terrified my wife, Kawaka, and Megumi. Servants have quit after getting nearly driven mad by the thing, yet no one, save my second son, Chikara, has actually managed to interact with it. He is currently in his room studying with his Tutor."

"I can fetch him?" Yasu asked.

"No, I have a maid waiting until he reaches a gap in his studies before he will come and speak with us. In the meantime, you may ask us whatever you wish."

"How old are your other children?"

"Chikara is 15, Megumi is 7," Yasu replied, "Chikara's birthday is in a month and Megumi's will be next April."

Lin is typing this up as Yasu speaks.

"What about any relationship in the family?" Naru asks.

"My children have been brought up to hold a healthy amount of respect for my wife and I, Megumi is our little angel, Chikara is our little prince, while Osamu does as he is told, I am proud of all three of them."

Yasu smirks at that.

The door opens a short while later, revealing a boy with similar features to Yasu, despite having no glasses and his hair is carefully parted with a lighter shade.

"You asked after me, Father?" they ask.

"Can you please tell these people about your encounter last week, my son?"

They nod, before hurrying to sit on his Father's opposite side.

"I was on my way to get a snack from Meira after doing some studying. But then I'd seen a dark figure in the hallway leading to our bedrooms, so I called out, thinking it was Osamu pulling a prank or something... Anyway, the figure noticed me, even though ithad no visible face..."

He took a breath, before tilting his head, smirking at the memory.

"It... Charged, to say the least; I knew it was definitely not Yasu because there were no possible ways of him flying down the corridor, so I prepared to either run, or fight... Turns out fighting was the option as soon as it purred " _Vengeance_ ". I punched where it's face should be, then hit it in the gut, making it disparate around my foot..."

I can see the stiffness in Yasu's shoulders at that.

"Y- Osamu, input," I ask.

"Naru!" Eugene hisses from beside me, and I shoot him a look.

"It's fine, but I get uncomfortable at the idea of my little brother nearly getting hurt; he and Megu are my family... I've also already been through the files, and every alternating generation there is mentions of one of the family, aptly named the "oniimako", dying well before their time. Otherwise there is no on-paper knowledge of the reasons behind their death, just the character for "Dragon" on the page by their name," Yasu replied.

I nod, before we are given a room to arrange ourselves in.

"He's hiding something," Reborn frowned.

Nodding in agreement, I start getting everything sorted.

"We'll need Madoka or one of your companions to try and get hold of that information he spoke of, Tsuna, Mai, Gene, how do you feel about this?"

"Yasu's distanced, as is Megumi... I think we need to  careful about this," Eugene replied, Mai nodding, as Tsuna frowned.

"It's like nearly everyone working here knows something, but they don't ant to speak of it... Whatever it is, I want to protect them."

"I'll get Hayato," Mukuro chuckled...


	17. Mothers and Dragons

When they get round to the interviews, the servants are quite helpful, before they reach Mrs Yasuhara.

She's knitting when they enter, soft humming filling the silence of the room.

"I- I don't think-" Osam begins.

"Osa-kun! Osa-kun!" she beams.

Osamu turns, smile slipping into place.

"Yes, Mother?" he smiles warmly.

She hums softly, beckoning him over.

"Are they real?" she asks.

"...Yes, they're my friends, we're investigating the shadows."

"But shadows are a natural thing, Osa-kun!" she replies, bopping him on the nose with a slim finger and a giggle.

"Yes, but these shadows walk," Osamu replies gently.

"Ah, then maybe they're bored..." she hums, before she giggles, "Is one of them your mate yet?"

"No," Osamu replies, blushing slightly, "Besides, Father will be the one to decide that. It's a tradition as the Yasuhara line."

She suddenly grabs his shoulders, panic seizing her face.

"Osa-kun! Promise me! Promise me that Mama has all her children! All of them!" she demands, "Mama wants to remember everything Osa-kun, Chika-kun and Megu-chan do! Everything!"

"It's fine, Mother, we're not leaving any time soon - I'm only Sevent-"

"Fifteen!" she asks quickly.

Yasu carefully nods, gently hugging her as he flicks his eyes between them and the door, where Chikara is watching with a scowl.

Yasu is left, comforting their mother, as Chikara explains.

"Mother's currently under treatment for Psychosis after an incident a short while after Megumi was born, Osamu seems to think that letting her see the world how she likes is fine, but when that means she has to stay in the confines of the ground since Father defies acknowledging we're not all as perfect as he wants; our family has deep roots and high expectations for all of its descendants; even Megumi is starting to be introduced to the finer workings of our world and social expectations," he says.

"Chikara!"

The boy jumps, turning towards his Father, as Yasu finally leaves the room.

"She's sleeping," he whispers.

Chikara rolls his eyes, before hurrying to the Yasuhara patriot, the pair talking for a while as the group watch how civil they are with eachother.

"Hey, don't we have to interview Chikara?" Yasu grins...

 

That night, Naru and Monk are on their way to base when a figure appears.

Monk automatically reacts, though whatever it is sprays something, that has both men recoiling as the world tilts, flames flaring.

A moment after, they hear footsteps, Naru trying to get up as John stops close by, eyes widening in surprise.

 _Why is he so big_?

John quickly lifts Naru up, as the usually stoic teen turns to see purple scales, white fluff along his belly and underside of his tail, ivory claws popping into sight ehen he tests the muscles in his hindlegs...

...

He looks towards Monk, to see a dragon with sand-white scales and brown eyes, gold fluff lining his stomach and gold spikes on his paw-tips and spine.

"What?!" Naru snaps.

It comes out as a low rumbled growl, as he and Monk are carried to base.

Mai is waiting, rushing over as he lifts Naru up.

He shoots her a glare, before she scratches under under his chi-... Oh gods that feels nice.

Naru purrs, tilting his head into the petting, before retracting quickly as he flicks his tail in embarrassment.

"Naru's so cute!" Mai squeals, as he looks up at her, growing more embarrassed as Monk starts laughing from John's arms, Naru shooting him a glare and blowing snowflakes onto his snout, freezing it.

"Naru!" Mai exclaims, Naru turning his head away like a cat in annoyance...

 

"Can you tell how it happened?" Mai asks, Naru half-asleep as Mai's using him like a cuddly toy, Monk now discovering his on version of humiliation - Ayako.

Yasu watches silently from a side, before joining Ayako in embarrassing Monk - for being such a large man, he's so cute as a small dragon!


	18. Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! ANGSTY FEELS!!

The next morning brought the disappearance of Osamu.

No one had entered or left his room, nor had Yamamoto - who'd slept in the same room as him - been disturbed.

Naru had gotten out of the base, investigating the room, Mai and Ayako trying to catch him as his flames/snowflakes swirled about...

Until he lept to the bed, scrambling underneath it.

"Naru!" she complained, before there was a soft _click_.

Mai blinked, before standing, as Ayako straightened.

"I'll fetch-" she starts, before Naru bounds over, grabbing her trouser leg with a soft, firm growl.

She blinks, before nodding.

"We'll need torches," Ayako says...

Ten minutes and a Mukuro and Ryohei later, they're entering the underground area.

Mukuro pauses at the base of the steps.

"It's a lab," he growled, trident forming...

...Before spluttering and fading away again.

Mukuro's eyes narrow, turning to Ryohei, who tries lighting his own flames...

...They come out only as a faint glow.

Ryohei nods to himself, before taking the initiative to explore, as Ayako's grip on her bag tightens.

The room has a few lights, machinery outlining the seemingly empty room.

Naru bounds over to a terminal, Mukuro following him, before reaching to the terminal.

"So that's how it happened..." he frowned, looking through, before chuckling, moving to another part of the room. where test tubes lay.

"It's their damn fault..." he growls, swiping a test-tube holding a transparent liquid of some sort.

"Hey! These are anatomy documents!" Ayako remarked, looking at another screen.

Mukuro moves over to look throughh, when they hear a familiar scream.

The ground shook, before they felt something in the air [shatter], as a wall opposite the stairs shattered, a large, smoke-covered, black dragon tearing out, taking one look at them, before roaring as he smashed through the ceiling, tail grabbing them as it swooped through, throwing them into Lin and Kyoya, who were moving to aid the terrified girl who cowered before her Father, who was pointing a nagamaki at her.

"What?!" Chikara exclaimed, as the dragon shifted to land between the two, revealing Osamu - though he had long hair, and his teeth and nails were sharper, his skin paler, along with sharper eyes.

"Leave Megumi alone," he growled, voice seeming to seethe from even the shadows around his feet.

"You-?!" Chikara exclaims, moving forward.

Osamu glances at them only once, though his eyes snap back as Hebito moves to attack.

Deflecting with ease, a pair of jitte appear in his hands as he drives forward, spinning and sending out shadows to shield Megumi, sending her at Chikara, who catches her quickly before she can get hurt.

The duo clash, Osamu obviously using his agility and stamina against the agility and strength his Father held.

"Stop?! What the hell are you doing?!" Chikara yells, before jumping as Osamu narrowly avoids getting his head cut off, performing a quick body-double that dissolves as he swoops back.

The actual fact Hebito doesn't react but for a snarky grin shows exactly how bad their relationship is.

"Pulling that trick? I thought you stopped doing that when I stabbed you back when you were six," he sneered.

"Though then you used that to your advantage for your own sick ideals," Osamu smiled, voice managing to come out cheerful despite the undertone of annoyance, "If you weren't so bigoted towards the ability to manipulate flames, _maybe_ Mother dearest wouldn't be so crazed just because you found out about her _own_ flames~..."

"Mother's flames?!" Chikara asks, stepping forward.

Osamu dodges, before using his flames to boost himself over his Father's head, blood splattering the grass as the man falls onto his chest, pain and anger filling his face.

Osamu pants, eeping his gaze fixed on his father as he tries to regain his breath.

"What a coward - like cuts will ever stop _me_!"

Shadows quickly snap around his legs, restricting his movement.

"I'm _not_ killing my old man when I could just hand you over to the Mafia's version of Police," he states, Lin quickly moving forwards as Chikara runs up, worry and confusion in his features as he carries Megumi, who's shaking like a leaf, running to Osamu's side as soon as she's released, throwing her arms around his neck.

Osamu quickly falls into comforting his sister as Lin storms up, Reborn at his side.

"What _was_ that?" Lin demands.

"Haze flames, they're the intermingling of Desert and Mist, though one may also call them Shadow flames, due to their colour," Osamu replies, soothing his sister as he checked her for any wounds.

Apart from a scraped elbow and several rather incriminating bruises, nothing.

"B-but Father... He didn't even _flinch_..." Chikara stutters, Osamu sighing, before pulling him to his side and flicking his forehead, smiling softly.

"There's a dark side to everyone, Chi-chan! Besides, that idiot's stabbed my doppelgängers enough times to reinforce his will that by now, I'm not surprised he found it so easy to actually try killing me," Osamu shrugs.

"And you're OK with that?!" Chikara snapped, annoyed.

Osamu chuckles, before he starts to laugh, pulling his younger siblings close.

"Never change! You're perfect as yourselves!" he laughs, a real grin lighting up his face, as Megumi gets distracted by his sharp fingers and long hair...

(Twenty minutes later and - after dragging Shamal over with a Yasu-doppelgänger to watch over him - Osamu gets a haircut and explains about the formula for the dragon forms to be activated: the host's body is sent into a shock, meaning you need a certain sort of relaxant comprised of Sun and Rain flames or Swamp and Mountain flames to calm the host down enough to shift back...)

(Another thirty and Mai and Masako are trying not to collapse at the sight of Naru and Monk after they'd shifted back without clothing...)

(...Tsuna wasn't happy...)


End file.
